Nonglare attachment for reflectors



April 26,1927. 1,625,932

R. L. BERG NONGLARE ATTACHMENT FOR REFLECTORS Filed May 29, 1924 ill)Patented Apr. 26, 1927.

PATENT QFEICE.

ROY L. BERG, OF NEW ULM, MINNESOTA.

NONGLARE ATTACHMENT FOR REFLECTOR/S.

Application filed May 29, 1924. Serial No. 716,617.

This invention relates to a headlight and particularly to such aheadlight as comniionly used on vehicles such as automobiles. As is wellknown to motorists, an objectionable glare occurs when vehicles are appreaching each other, due to the drivers facing the bright lights of theapproaching machine. While various dimming devices have been proposed,they are, as a rule, objectionable, owing to the diminution of the lightpreventing the driver from properly seeing the road. As it is oftennecessary to turn out on the road to pass a vehicle it is uite necessaryto be able to see the side of the road to avoid running of? the roadinto a ditch or other obstruction.

it is an object of this invention to provide a non-glare device for aheadlight, by means of which the glare into the eyes of the driver ofthe approaching machine is prevented and also by means of which thelight is directed downwardly diagonally towards the side of the road sothat the road is clearly illuminated and the driver can see just wherehe is guiding his machine in turning out. i

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a devicecomprising a pivoted plate mounted in the reflector of the headlight,which plate is mounted diagonally above the lamp bulb with means forswinging said plate downwardly in front of the bulb to prevent glaretherefrom and to direct the light from the bulb downwardly and at oneside.

It is also an object of the invention to provide such a plate shaped toconform substantially to the shape of the reflector, hinged thereto soas to swing inside of the lens normally held in inoperative position bya tension means with means for swinging the same in front of the bulb. I

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fullyset forth in the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to thesame parts throughout the different views, and in which,

Fig. 1 is a View in front elevation of the headlight having the devicethereon.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Pi 1,as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view taken on, the line S-8 of Fig. l, asindicated by the arrows; and 7 Fig. i is a partial view in rearelevation of the reflector and device.

Referring to the drawings, the outer casing 1 of an automobile headlightis shown which is substantially of semi-cylindrical form and whichreceives over its front and open edge an annular member 2, said memherhaving the front portion 2 adapted to overlie and contact the outersurface of the lens 3, which lens is held against the packing or gasketstrip 5 seated in a groove 6 formed in the latter edge of the reflector(i. The reflector 6 is of concavo-convex formation and has a central hub6" through which and the central hub l of the casing 1 extends a sleeve7, said. sleeve having an L-shaped. slot 7 in its rear end adapted toco-oporate with a pin on the hub 1. The sleeve '7 is also provided withan l.-shaped or bayonet slot 7" at its inner end which end is disposedin the reflector 6, a lamp bulb 8 being adapted to be disposed in theinner end of the sleeve 7 and held in the slot 7", said sleeve formingthe socketfor said lamp bulb. Vfihile any standard form of headlightconstruction can be used, the parts described illustrate one standardform of headlight construction.

In accordance with the present invention, a rod 9 is provided having astraight portion 9 extending through openings 6 in the reflector (3,said rod being journaled in said openings and extending across theinside of the reflector between said openings. A plate 10 has alaterally projecting sleeve 1O secured to the portion of the rod 9extending between openings 6 and which is disposed at the inside of thereflector. One end of the portion 9 of the rod 9 has its end 9 bentsubstantially at a right angle, which end has secured thereto aslip 11formed of a flat strip of metal bent about said rod and apertured toreceive one end of a tension coiled spring 12, the other end of saidspring being attached to a hook 13 soldered orotherwise suitably securedto the outside of the reflector 6. The other end of the rod portion 9 isbent at an angle of sub stantially 120 degrees and has its free endformed with a loop to which is connected a wire or cable 1% preferablyof a flexible character. The wire or cable 14 will be carried to aposition adjacent the driver of lllll an automobile and connected tosome suitable operating device so that the same can be pulled upon tooperate the rod 9. The plate 10 has its outer edge formed substantiallyon the are of a circle and substantially concentric with the outer edgeof the reflector 6. The sides ofthe plate 10 are convexly curved so thatthe plate is roughly of bicuspid shape andtthe same is formedsubstantially to fit against the side of the reflector 6 and to conformto the shape thereof. It will be noted that the axis o'lmthe portion 9of rod?) extends above the axis of the lamp bulb 8 and sleeve 7 anddiagonally upward toward the top of the reflector so that the centraltransverse axis of the plate 10 which, in Fig. 1, Falls substantially onthe section line 2-2, is disposed at an angle 0t if degrees withthevertical. The plate 10,-the1.'et'ore might be said to be in one uppercorner of the reflector and disposed diagonally at an angle ofsubstantially degrees over the lamp bulb 8.

in operation, the plate 10 normally will he held in the position shownin full lines in Figs. 1 and 2 substantially flat againstthe inside oithe reflector (i, the plate being held in this positionbythe tension oi?spring 12. hen approaching another car, the operator will pull uponthemember It by appropriate mechanism and the outer end oi the rod S)willbe swung about the portion 9 as an axis-so:thatwplate 10 will beswung substantially to the dotted lineposition shown in Fig. The platethus-swings downwardly in a diagonal direction overjthe bulb 8. Thelight from the bulb'thus cannot shine upwardly and the glare therefrominto the eyes of the driver of the approaching vehicle is prevented. Atthe same time, the light from the lampwili be reflected by plate 10downwardly atone side of the road so that additional illumination willbe given at the side of the road toward which the driver must turn topass the oil-coining vehicle. The plate It) thusnot only serves toprevent the. glare but also lhinctions to dircctthc light to the placewhere it is most nceded a nd the driver does not have to make a turn tothe side of the road which he cannot see. The applicant is aware that-ithas heretofore been proposed to have svi'ing ing plates in thereflectorsot' headlights but these: plates were disposed directly above or belowthe lamp bulb andhad curved side portions so that when swung in front ofthe bulb the light of the bulb was totally obscured so that nobeneficial effect of the light at the side of the road could be had. Bydisposing the plate diagonally above thelamp bulb and forming the sameof the proper shape, a difterent structure obtaining a new andimportantresult obtained. The new result obtained is of great importanceand has a highdegree of utility to the driver of the automobile. Itwill, of course, be understood that when the tension on the member llrelaxed the spring 12 will again move the plate 10 to its immerativeposition where it acts as a part. of the reflector and in no wayinterlcrc'; with the normal function of the headlight. The plate '10willbe disposed at the appropriate side of the reflector to have therays t'ronithe lamp bulb directed downwardly at the side of the roadwhether the raysnre rctlected directly from the plate or from the plateand reflector.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has n'ovided agreat improvement in an automobile headlight and one which may be'usedto-avoid the dangers and ob jections to the. glare now present inn'iotoring, The device is at extremely simple construction and can bereadilyinstalled on-headlights already in use or; easily placedtherconwhen n1anutaetured. The devicehas been :nnply demonstrated inactualpractice and loundto'be very successful and efficient for thepurpose intended.

it will, of course, be uinlerstood, that various changes may be made inthe form, dc tails, arrangement and proportions of the parts without .dc'aartingtrom the scope of applieants invention, which generally stated,consists in a device capable of carrying out theobjects above set forth,such as shown and described and ,deiined in the appended claim.

W'hat is clail-ued is:

The con'ibination with .a headlight comprising. a reflector and a ilight bulbihaning an axis normally disposed substantially horizontally,ot' a plate disposed diagonally above said bulb and-in therellectorwith-its celr tral transverse axis extending at an anglesubstantially of a5 degrees to the vertical,

a rod journalcd in the reflector to whichsaid plate is secured, said rodhavingflone and bent at an angle, a tensionspring secured to said end.adapted normally touhold said plate in. inopmative position against thereliector,.and said rod having itspther and bent to. form an operatingarm, and means adapted to be, pulled upon by the operator for swingingsaid arnnand rod andisaid plate.

In testimony whereof. Iallix my signature.

ROY ,L. BERG.

